Nintendogs
Dalmatian and Friends European box art
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Kiyoshi Mizuki
Producer(s)Hideki Konno
Designer(s)Junji Morii
Writer(s)Kunio Watanabe
Composer(s)Hajime Wakai
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
April 21, 2005
  • Original version
    • JP: April 21, 2005
    • NA: August 22, 2005
    • AU: September 22, 2005[1]
    • EU: October 7, 2005
    Best Friends
    • NA: October 24, 2005
    Dalmatian & Friends
    • EU: June 16, 2006
    • NA: October 16, 2006
    • AU: November 2, 2006[2]
Genre(s)Pet-raising simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Nintendogs[lower-alpha 1] is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan, and was later released in: North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions: Dachshund & Friends, Lab & Friends (Shiba & Friends in Japan) and Chihuahua & Friends. It has been re-released twice, first as a bundled release with a special edition Nintendo DS with a new version called Nintendogs: Best Friends and later as Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends.

Nintendogs uses the DS's touchscreen and built-in microphone. The touch screen allows the player to pet a dog, as well as to use various items that can be found or purchased. These range from balls and frisbees, to toys, to grooming supplies to keep the dogs happy. The microphone is used to call to the player's dog by speaking the name given to the dog in the beginning of the game as well as to teach the dog tricks such as "sit" or "roll over". Players can bring their dogs on walks and to the park if they so choose. They may interact with other players in multi-player by using the DS's wireless linkup. It also uses the DS's internal clock and calendar to allow the dog to grow hungrier or dirtier based on the elapsed time.

Nintendogs received positive reviews from critics and won many awards, including the 2006 Innovation Award from PC World and Best Handheld Game from the Associated Press. All versions of Nintendogs have sold a combined 23.96 million copies worldwide, making it the second highest-selling game on the Nintendo DS, behind New Super Mario Bros.[3] Because of Nintendogs' success, Nintendo has made several related products, including Nintendogs toys[4] and a series of Nintendogs trading cards.[5] A sequel, titled Nintendogs + Cats, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.

Gameplay

Nintendogs uses the DS' touchscreen, where the owner can: play with, train, pet, walk, brush and wash a virtual dog.[6] The game also utilizes the built-in microphone, where the player can call their puppy or teach the puppy tricks.[7] Money can be earned by placing in competitions or selling items at the secondhand shop and can be used to purchase supplies, puppies and home decor. Dogs can be walked and can be taken to the park where they can practice disc catching skills for disc competitions and to the gymnasium to practice dog agility for agility trials.[6] While walking, question mark icons on the map point out areas that may contain neighborhood dogs or presents, though presents can be found unmarked as well.

Only three dogs may be kept at the player's house at one time and up to five dogs can stay at the dog hotel, where dogs can be swapped, dropped off and picked up at any time. The player can also choose to part ways with a dog by donating a dog to the hotel.

As time passes without the dog being cared for, its condition will slowly deteriorate as it becomes more hungry and dirty. The condition of the player's dogs can be found by clicking its name. Hunger is listed as: Full, Normal, Hungry and Famished. Thirst is listed as: Quenched, Normal, Thirsty and Parched. The condition of the dog's coat is listed as: Beautiful, Clean, Normal, Dirty and Filthy.

Nintendogs features a variety of contests, which are the player's main method of earning money and trainer points. There are three contests Disc Competition, Agility Trial and Obedience Trial. In each of them, there are 5 classes: Beginner, Open, Expert, Master and Championship. Each contest is commented on by two men, named Ted Rumsworth and Archie Hubbs. If the player's dog places 3rd or higher in its class, the dog will proceed to the next class, where the contest increases in difficulty level. Prize money earned differs depending on which contest has been entered, what place is finished and the class the dog is in. If the player does not place in the top three, they will be dropped to the previous difficulty level.[8]

Nintendogs allows users to communicate wirelessly to other Nintendogs users through Bark Mode.[9] Before activating Wireless Mode, the player can choose to give the other user a present.[10] When another user with Bark Mode activated is nearby, the player will have an opportunity to play with the other trainer's dog and if the user has recorded a voice message on their White Record, the other user will hear the voice message.[11]

Dogs do not die, have puppies or age (meaning they remain as puppies).[12]

Development

First publicly mentioned in 1997,[13] Shigesato Itoi (designer of EarthBound), Tsunekazu Ishihara (designer of Pokémon) and Shigeru Miyamoto codeveloped a Nintendo 64 prototype of a pet creature breeding game called Cabbage. Its four-year development was fundamentally enabled by the real-time clock and mass writability introduced in the requisite 64DD peripheral "such that even if the power is cut, [the game] can still raise the creature"[14] and with optionally purchasable enhancement data.[15] A subset of creature maintenance functionality is made portable on the Game Boy and can be synchronized back to the 64DD disk, via the Transfer Pak.[14][15] It was expected for release in 1998[16] and then, in 2000,[14] but all further development was distracted. In 2006, Miyamoto concluded: "It disappeared, didn't it ... However, the conversations and design techniques that popped up when we were making Cabbage are, of course, connected to Nintendogs and other things that we're doing now."[13][14][15][16][17]

The project which ultimately became Nintendogs began as a technical demo on the GameCube long before it was considered for the DS. It was migrated to the DS when the handheld was still in development. Shigeru Miyamoto originally came up with the idea for the game when he and his family bought a dog, which inspired him to create the project.[18] The game's producer, Hideki Konno, looking for a game to take full advantage of all of the Nintendo DS's features, decided on a dog simulation game. Nintendogs, first called Puppy Times, was originally designed to have fifteen different versions, one for each breed of dog. Satoru Iwata suggested this to convey the feel that the player was choosing a dog from a kennel. However, the debugging process for each version was deemed too time-consuming to be feasible. After going back and forth between several versions, they eventually settled on three, with six dogs each and the rest available after completing in-game goals.[19]

Merchandise

In late 2005, Nintendo of America released the first series of Nintendogs "6-Card Fun Paks". Three different pack designs (each based on the US-released designs of the DS game) contains an assortment of "Collectible cards, stickers & more!". Each pack randomly contains two of 18 different Breed cards, one of nine different Dog in Training tip cards, one of six different Miscellaneous cards, one of 18 different Pop-Up Cards, one of six sundry sheets of stickers, one of four temporary tattoos and one Sweepstakes card. Another series of these cards were released in early 2007 by Enterplay, LLC.[20] These cards, officially licensed by Nintendo, were created by the same individuals who worked on the first series. As such, the cards greatly resemble the first series. Keeping the "6-Card Fun Pak" name, each package contains two of 20 different At the Kennel cards (which feature all eighteen breeds from the games,[21] including the Dalmatian and Jack Russell Terrier), one of nine Dog in Training tip cards, one of four Miscellaneous cards, one of 20 Pop-Up Cards, one of six sheets of stickers, one of four temporary tattoos and one Sweepstakes card. The next series also features three sundry packages, this time with a Dalmatian, Beagle and Pug on the front of the package.

A line of Nintendogs plush toys were released in Japan, featuring the most popular breeds in each game.[22] They are also available at the Nintendo World Store. Various Nintendogs T-shirts were also made available at the Nintendo World Store. In Europe and Australia, a series of plush toys with an electronic sensor were released, and when the owner shook the bone, the dog would walk and bark. Nintendo has also released a set of plushes through Earthwood Toys.

Reception

The game was well received by critics, with an average score of 85% at Game Rankings.[23] In the May 2005 edition of the Famitsu, Japan's most popular gaming magazine, Nintendogs received a perfect 40/40 score. Only four other games had attained this score at the time.[26] It also received an 8.5 out of 10 in Nintendo Power.[31] Game Informer gave Nintendogs an 8 out of 10, reflecting on the game's lack of an ending.[32] Game Oracle gave it 85% and a recommendation saying that unlike most sims, it has a lot of depth.

Sales

In the first week of its release in Japan (April 18, 2005 to April 24, 2005), the three versions, Shiba Inu & Friends, Miniature Dachshund & Friends and Chihuahua & Friends, sold 75,000, 49,000 and 44,000, respectively, totalling 168,000 units. This title game also boosted the Nintendo DS system sales by over 4.2 times the previous week to 95,000 units, up from 22,000.[33] It was the 91st best-selling game in Japan in 2008, selling 142,591 copies combined, with cumulative Japanese sales of 1,850,984 combined by 2008.[34]

In Europe, it was the top-selling Nintendo game of 2005 with 1.6 million copies sold that year.[35] The game went on to sell 23.96 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling Nintendo DS game of all time.[36] According to Nintendo, the majority of Nintendogs owners were female.[37]

Awards

In addition to recognitions from publications such as Entertainment Weekly, BusinessWeek and the Chicago Sun Times, Nintendogs also won a wide variety of awards.[38]

Nintendogs also had very successful launches in North America and Europe, with first week sales of over 250,000[51] and 160,000[52] respectively. Lab & Friends received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[53] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[54] ELSPA also gave Dalmatian & Friends a "Platinum" award, for at least 300,000 sales in the United Kingdom.[55] By August 2006, in the United States, Chihuahua & Friends had sold 570,000 copies and earned $17 million; Labrador & Friends had sold 620,000 copies and earned $19 million; and Dachshund & Friends had sold 730,000 copies and earned $22 million. During the period between January 2000 and August 2006, the games were respectively the 50th, 44th and 32nd highest-selling games launched for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable in the United States.[56]

On March 23, 2006 at GDC 2006, Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata announced that international sales of Nintendogs sales had reached 6 million.[57] By March 31, 2008, the game was the best-selling Nintendo DS game published by Nintendo.[58] As of March 31, 2015, the combined sales of all versions has reached 23.96 million and it is now second on the Nintendo DS best-sellers list behind New Super Mario Bros..[3]

Legacy

In 2010, 1UP.com included Nintendogs in their list of five "Essential Newcomers" of the decade, describing it as one of "five revolutionary new games" of the past 10 years, for its impact on drawing "non-gamers to console and portable systems" and establishing the "new" Nintendo. Despite derision from many hardcore gamers, Nintendogs sold tens of millions, mostly among casual gamers and paved the way for the Nintendo DS's worldwide success. This gave rise to a non-game trend, previously limited to PCs, on consoles and portables. Nintendo followed it up with more casual games such as Brain Age, Wii Sports and Wii Fit, establishing Nintendo as the most successful developer and publisher of the decade.[59]

Sequel

It was announced during Nintendo's 2010 E3 presentation that Shigeru Miyamoto was working on a new Nintendogs project, involving some new innovations.[60] The game, titled Nintendogs + Cats was finished in 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS and was released as a launch title in all regions.

A microgame based on Nintendogs appears in the game WarioWare: Smooth Moves. A Nintendogs Labrador Retriever puppy also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an assist trophy; owing to the nonviolent nature of the Nintendogs game, rather than fighting actively, the dog "plays" in front of the screen, blocking view.[61] Also, there are multiple Nintendogs downloadable content available in the game Animal Crossing: City Folk. A French bulldog appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, taking the role of the Labrador Retriever. There is also a Nintendogs + Cats stage on the 3DS version. Both the assist trophy and the stage from this game reappear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ニンテンドッグス, Hepburn: Nintendoggusu

References

  1. ↑ "Updated Australian Release List - 12/09/05". PALGN. 2005-09-12. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
  2. ↑ "Introducing Pink Nintendo DS Lite and nintendogs Dalmatian and Friends". Nintendo Australia. 2006-10-16. Archived from the original on 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
  3. 1 2 "Top Selling Software Sales Units". Nintendo. 2015-03-31. Archived from the original on 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  4. ↑ "Tug 'n Play Nintendogs plush". Video gamefigures.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  5. ↑ "6-Card Fun Paks". ExperienceFestival.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  6. 1 2 "pg 26". Nintendogs manual (PDF). Nintendo DS. 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  7. ↑ "pg 13". Nintendogs manual. Nintendo DS. 2005.
  8. ↑ Nintendogs instruction booklet. p. 24.
  9. ↑ Harris, Craig (August 19, 2005). "Nintendogs: Chihuahua & Friends". IGN. Archived from the original on 2009-11-16. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  10. ↑ Nintendogs instruction booklet. p. 27.
  11. ↑ Nintendogs instruction booklet. p. 28.
  12. ↑ Nintendo (2005). "pg 08". Nintendogs manual. Nintendo DS.
  13. 1 2 Miyamoto, Shigeru; Itoi, Shigesato (December 1997). Translated by Yomuka. "A friendly discussion between the "Big 2"". The 64DREAM: 91.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Nintendo Still Cooking Cabbage". IGN. 2000-04-04. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  15. 1 2 3 IGN Staff (January 29, 1998). "64DD: The Games". Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Gantayat, Anoop (August 21, 2006). "Miyamoto Opens the Vault". IGN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  17. ↑ "64DD Pet Projects". IGN. December 10, 1997. Archived from the original on March 14, 2006. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  18. ↑ Miyamoto, Shigeru (2005-10-03). "Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto" (Interview). Interviewed by Peter Rojas. Joystiq. Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  19. ↑ "E3 2005: Nintendogs Interview". IGN. 19 May 2005. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Nintendogs - Is That One Good?
  21. ↑ "- Nintendo - Customer Service - Cards". Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  22. ↑ "グッズ紹介". 2005-04-14. Archived from the original on 14 April 2005. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  23. 1 2 "Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2009-01-10. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  24. ↑ Matsuzaki, Kimi (August 20, 2005). "Nintendogs DS Review". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  25. ↑ Reed, Kristan (November 17, 2006). "Nintendogs". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  26. 1 2 Ashcraft, Brian. Famitsu Gives Metal Gear Solid 4 Perfect Score Archived 2017-03-24 at the Wayback Machine. Kotaku.com. Retrieved 06-04-2008.
  27. ↑ Burner, Rice (August 22, 2005). "Review: Nintendogs". GamePro. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  28. ↑ Massimilla, Bethany (August 19, 2005). "Nintendogs Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  29. ↑ Theobald, Phil (August 22, 2005). "Nintendogs: Lab & Friends (DS)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  30. ↑ David, Mike (September 12, 2005). "Nintendogs Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  31. ↑ Sinfield, George; Myers, Andy (October 2005). "Nintendogs". Nintendo Power. No. 196. Nintendo of America. p. 96.
  32. ↑ "Exclusive Nintendogs First Look". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  33. ↑ Anoop Gantayet (April 28, 2005). "DS Sales Skyrocket in Japan". IGN. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2005.
  34. ↑ "2008 top 100". Kyoto.zaq.ne.jp. Archived from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  35. ↑ Jordan, Jon (January 5, 2006). "DS lead increases further". Archived from the original on 2021-11-13. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  36. ↑ "Sales Data - Top Selling Software Sales Units - Nintendo DS Software". Nintendo. 2020-09-30. Archived from the original on 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  37. ↑ Jordan, Jon (27 October 2006). "How DS created a new generation of girl gamers". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  38. ↑ "Nintendogs Packs the Doghouse With Year-End Awards". Video Game News. January 12, 2006. Archived from the original on 2010-04-20. Retrieved Feb 1, 2010.
  39. ↑ "2005 Winners". gamecriticsawards.com. 2006. Archived from the original on June 23, 2009. Retrieved Feb 1, 2010.
  40. ↑ "Nintendogs". Nintendo Video Game. September 28, 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-01-30. Retrieved Feb 1, 2010.
  41. ↑ "Nintendogs Packs the Doghouse With Year-End Awards". Gamezone.com. 12 January 2006. Archived from the original on 2010-04-20. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  42. ↑ "2005 Japan Media Arts Festival Entertainment Division Excellence Prize Nintendogs". Japan Media Arts Plaza. Archived from the original on 2009-06-24. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  43. ↑ "2006 PC World Innovations Awards". About.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  44. ↑ "Yellow Pencil Awards". gamesutra.com. Archived from the original on 2006-06-27. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
  45. ↑ "2006 Winners". PETA. Archived from the original on May 26, 2006.
  46. ↑ "IGN Editors' Choice Games". IGN. Archived from the original on July 16, 2008. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  47. ↑ "IGN.com presents the Best of 2005". IGN. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  48. ↑ "Editor's Choice - GameSpot". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. Retrieved Feb 1, 2010.
  49. ↑ IGN Staff (17 June 2012). "DICE 2006: Interactive Achievement Awards". IGN. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  50. ↑ "9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Winners". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  51. ↑ "Nintendo Reveals Impressive U.S. Nintendogs Figures". Gamasutra. September 1, 2005. Archived from the original on November 19, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2005.
  52. ↑ "Nintendo Claims European Sales Boost For DS". Gamasutra. October 12, 2005. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2005.
  53. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Double Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009.
  54. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017.
  55. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009.
  56. ↑ Keiser, Joe (August 2, 2006). "The Century's Top 50 Handheld Games". Next Generation. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007.
  57. ↑ "GDC: The Nintendo keynote blow by blow (Updated)". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2006-06-12. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
  58. ↑ "Financial Results Briefing for the Fiscal Year Ended March 2008: Supplementary Information" (PDF). Nintendo. 2008-04-25. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  59. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (February 2010). "The Decade That Was: Essential Newcomers: Nintendogs". 1UP.com. p. 5. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  60. ↑ "Nintendo E3 Network". Nintendo Network. Nintendo.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010.
  61. ↑ "Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)". Fragland. Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.